Faculty and Staff

Richard H. Aubry MD, MPH

Dr. Aubry presently serves as a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the Director of Academic and Community Obstetrics and Medical Director of the Center for Maternal & Child Health, Co-Director of Central New York Regional Perinatal Program and Data System, as well as the Obstetrical Advisor of the Syracuse Healthy Start Project. He has been working on the improvement of the outcomes of pregnancy for over 45 years.

Martha Wojtowycz, Ph.D.

Dr. Wojtowycz serves as the Director for Research and Administration with the SUNY Center for Maternal and Child Health and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

She is a health economist with undergraduate degrees in biology and economics, a doctorate in economics with a health concentration, and has advanced training in accounting. Dr. Wojtowycz teaches first and second year medical students in their Practice of Medicine and Epidemiology courses, as well as, third and fourth year students in their clerkships.

Her research interests focus around the application of health services research, quality improvement and economic evaluation methods to maternal and child health.

Nailya Almagambetova, MD, PhD, MPA

Dr. Almagambetova serves as the Health Education and Analytic Specialist at the SUNY Center for Maternal and Child Health and at the Syracuse Healthy Start Project. She received her MD (endocrinology), PhD in Clinical Medical Science (Moscow, Russia), PhD in Social Science, and MA in Public Administration (Syracuse, NY). Her research interests focus on maternal health, disparity in prenatal care, health policy, and international health systems.

Karen M. Davis

Born and raised in Liverpool, United Kingdom and emigrated to Upstate New York in the summer of 2005. Karen joined the CMATCH Team in October 2006 as the Administrative Secretary to Dr. Richard Aubry.

Karen graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Finance. Karen is responsible for coordinating meetings, travel arrangements, schedules, day-to-day administrative duties for Dr. Aubry and the purchasing and finance/budget issues for the Department.

Mary Ellen Hane

Mary Ellen provides support for the Regional Perinatal Forum and Perinatal Outreach Program as well as general administrative support to the Center for Maternal and Child Health. Mary received her associates degree in Office Technology with a concentration in Computer Information from Onondaga Community College in 1999. She spent many years as an operator with AT&T before making a career change.

Jeanette LaSala

Jeanette earned her BSN from Alfred University. Subsequently practiced in the neonatal I.C.U. and then in Pediatrics. Jeanette left nursing to raise her 7 children with her husband Frank, home schooling them for the past 20 years. Jeanette has now returned to the professional workplace part-time as a Patient Navigator for women who are pregnant and/or parenting young children.

Mary Jensen

Mary graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S.W. She is currently the Program Coordinator for the March of Dimes funded office in the Syracuse Community Treatment Court (SCTC). At this office, women who are at high-risk for a negative birth outcome are provided with information and support to help them navigate through a medical system that can be fairly complex.

She works closely with the SCTC staff as well as numerous community partners including: Syracuse Healthy Start, the Onondaga County Health Department, REACH CNY, The Prostitution Task Force, The Franciscan Collaborative Ministries, The Syracuse Police Department, and The March of Dimes.

Kristen Luke-Houseman

Kristen is a graduate of Colgate University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology/Anthropology and Women's Studies. She received her undergraduate nursing education at SUNY Morrisville and has completed graduate nursing work at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Kristen is currently the Perinatal Quality Assurance Coordinator for the Central New York Fetal-Infant Mortality/Morbidity Registry/Review (FIMMRR). Kristen also works with the QA departments of the local birth hospitals to assure standard data extraction and review in the case review process.

Pamela R. Parker

Pam graduated from Wells College with a degree in Biology/Psychology. She is currently the Central New York Data Coordinator for the Statewide Perinatal Data System (SPDS). She represents the Central New York region as the co-chair of the Definitions Subcommittee of the SPDS Epidemiology Workgroup. She also performs analyses of SPDS data and participates in quality improvement outreach visits.

Pam is also a member of the Evaluation Team for the Syracuse Healthy Start Project and the Data Coordinator for the Fetal Infant Morbidity-Mortality Registry and Review (FIMMRR).

Heather Shannon, CNM, MS

Heather is a CNM, MS, WHNP, OB/GYNNP with ten years of practice experience as a Midwife, who provides education to students of all disciplines in Women's Health. Heather joins the Regional Perinatal Program in the new role as a Perinatal Quality/ Educational Specialist and the Co-Director of the MIRACLE Continuity Elective and she serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Upstate Medical University College of Nursing. Heather provides a new dimension to the Maternal/Fetal Medicine Team of the Regional Perinatal Center in its QA/Educational mission.